I am heading out for Fedora - my hubby has dug his heels in against the currently “oh so popular” black polish, but I am going to keep trying with this one, a nice dark chocolate cool brown. 
Artificial Nails, Manicures, Nail News, Nail Polish Colors, Nail TrendsThe Swedish Medical Center in Seattle has offered up this simple instruction on how to wash your hands - a frequently overlooked thing that can not only save your life, but can help your polish stay on a very long time too!
Artificial Nails, handwashing, ManicuresYou probably don’t know this yet about me, but I am a huge stickler for sanitation, made even more paranoid about it because of my husband’s near fatal battle with MRSA last year. One of the truly great reasons for doing your own nails is the avoidance of bacteria that will thrive in a salon unless very stringent precautions are in place and followed. Did you know that the procedure for sanitizing a pedicure bath is very intensive and time consuming, and that many salons out there are not doing it properly? The jacuzzi type footbaths are nearly impossible to keep disinfected because of their plumbing. Anyhow, about disinfectants:
You can purchase your disinfectant at the beauty supply (the one you will find most readily is called Barbacide), or you can use rubbing alcohol. The advantage of the beauty supply disinfectant is that it will not cause your tools to rust, where alcohol can. Be sure and follow the directions that come with your particular disinfectant, and if you use alcohol, soak your tooks in it for 10 mnutes, and then rinse them off with water and be darned sure you dry them off completely. Then, store them in your tupperware container. Also be sure to spray your surfaces (pedicure tubs) after using them as well–let the disinfectant/alcohol sit for 10 minutes (or according to package directions) then wipe down with a clean paper towel and store. You don’t have to worry as much about your own bacteria, your body is used to dealing with it, but a good disinfecting routine will never hurt you, and might just protect you if you were to cut yourself at some point. Be absolutely sure to disinfect if you are sharing your tools with anyone, even a family member. You want to do it to protect them as much as yourself.
Artificial Nails, Cautions, Manicures, pedicures, Sanitation, SuppliesBrand and color are your preference. I have found that if you use a quality base coat and a quality top coat, then you can use whatever brand of colored polish that you choose. My preference is Jessica or OPI, but truly, just about any of them will do. Make sure that the polish doesn’t need any more than two thin coats to look its
best. I have used the cheapest drugstore nail polishes on clients in the past with great results, but sometimes polish intended for little girls is watered down so much that to get good color coverage you need three or four coats. You want to avoid this polish completely.
For polish removal–gauze is best, paper towels are second best. Gauze is sometimes hard to find, but well worth it. Sometimes you can find them in the local beauty supply, or your local drug store in the first aid section, but it is easier and most economical to order them on the internet from a dental supplier. You do not need sterile gauze, these are very expensive at the drug store, and just not worth it. If you order them, order 2×2 (inches), non sterile cotton gauze pads. These pads are much better than cotton balls, because they do not leave the stringy lint that gets into your polish no matter how hard you try to keep it out. Their texture allows for much easier polish removal as well, they are like a scrubby sponge. Another alternative is pads that you can purchase at any drug store, they are sold as lint free, and indeed they are, however they are SO thin and smooth textured that it takes a lot of them to get the job done. Even if you have to purchase the pads in bulk from a dental supplier, you will find lots of uses for them around the house, especially in your first aid kit.
Unless caught in a desperate situation, I always purchase pure acetone at the hardware store, in a metal can, available in all different sizes. This has many uses around the home; a gallon can be a money saver. I store what I am using in a pump style plastic container which can be purchased at most any beauty supply or drugstore.
You can use an old crock pot (with a warm setting, do NOT use one with only one setting), or a small potpourri warmer (even one with a candle, if you remember to start it up early enough), both available at most grocery stores or a kitchen specialty
shop. You can even use a microwavable bowl, large enough to dip your hand into. If price is not an object, you can buy a paraffin
warmer at most beauty supply houses, or some sporting goods stores and department stores. These are often quite expensive, but I do believe that I saw one recently for a very reasonable price (under $50). The most important thing to remember here is that paraffin melts at a very low temperature, and it will burn your hands if you have it too hot. ALWAYS test your paraffin before you stick your hand in it, and use the paintbrush to paint it on if you want to be absolutely safe.
You will use the Tupperware style container to disinfect your tools either after you have used them, or before the next time (often easier, especially if you forget to disinfect them BEFORE you polish your nails). This will also be where you store your tools, so they don’t get bumped around and lose their edges (nippers).
The pump spray bottle is for convenience of using your cuticle remover (Blue Cross, will talk more about that shortly). Any size is fine, but all you really need is 2-4 oz. An empty travel size pump hair spray bottle is perfect. The small spray from this size bottle is the perfect size for hitting your fingertips.
A scrub brush can be purchased anywhere from the local beauty
supply to the grocery store to the hardware store. The choice is your
preference, I have no specific recommendations here.
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